Bridge’s Of Hope At Work Part 4.

It’s Saturday 28th April 2018 and Prime Bling (PB) Your favorite on line digital entertainment guide is out once again with the non profit charitable organization, Bridges Of Hope, who on a weekly basic help feed the homeless on our streets in modern Ireland today.

North Earl Street just off O’Connell Street here in Dublin City looks like just a normal street as people walk past going in various directions. The Spire can be seen in the distance away from the site on North Earl Street, just as the sun begins to go down. Its nearly 7:30pm as young couples make their way down North Earl Street hand in hand and families out walking enjoying the dry weather.

Just past 7:30pm a few cars and vans pull up on to a lane that leads on to North Earl Street. Within minutes the drivers and passengers of these vehicles emerge as volunteers with Bridges Of Hope and are setting up a hot, cold food station, a clothing rail, and are getting hot water in flask’s from a nearby pub Madagan’s who regularly give the volunteers hot water several times during their weekly shift on North Earl Street.

The volunteers haven’t even set up their stalls properly when there is a sudden rise in people activity seeking aid from Bridge’s Of Hope. There are several different nationalities seeking help on this evening. A lady can be seen with three very young children queuing up to seek some help. The volunteers have to keep asking the homeless people who are looking for items of clothing to hang back and give them time to set up.

With all the tables set up its ready to rock and roll. Its only just before 7:45pm and already nearly 100 homeless people have called upon Bridges Of Hope for help. (PB) Got talking to some of these service users and some of the volunteers this is their story.

Don is homeless.

Don at present is living in a concrete pipe. He has been homeless for about 1 Year. Before he became homeless Don worked in the building construction. Don went on to say that the services offered by Bridges Of Hope is very good and he and everyone who uses these services would be lost without them.

Eddie used to be homeless.

Eddie was homeless up to very lately and now has somewhere to live. Prior to this latest development Eddie, was homeless on and off and living in tents in and around the city including the Phoenix Park. Eddie first lived in a tent in near the Royal Canal here in Dublin.

While living in the tent Eddie an animal lover had a few dogs living with him. Rather than take all the dogs with him to the local shop he would leave them in the tent. On a least one occasion Eddie alleges that the a member of the Irish Police Force, aka an Gardai Siochana, threaten to have his dogs removed from him if he ever left them alone again to go to the shops, Despite Eddie claiming that his dogs where well behaved and at that time they were chipped. Eddie went on to say while he was living in the tent that Gardai, would be very abusive to him.

Eddie went on to say that there should be more facilitates made available for homeless people who have dogs, and or animals with them. Eddie had to foster two of his dogs a mother and a daughter, out to a new owner after he was given a very short respite resting period with a homeless services provider. Eddie went on to say he would at times go without food so his beloved dogs would not have to go without it and his dogs were always well looked after and were always well behaved.

Eddie went on to say that the services provided by Bridges Of Hope is the best services going and a lot of homeless people would be at a loss without them. They always provide lovely hot food and nearly new item of clothing. Bridges Of Hope often provided Eddie with dog food for his two dogs.

Irene Coady Murphy is a volunteer:

Irene has been volunteering with Bridges Of Hope, for about 8 months. Irene likes to give back to people who need it or may not have it. Irene would like to say to the Irish Government come out with Bridges Of Hope, every Saturday Evening and see just how bad the homeless crisis is for themselves. Irene also went on to say if the Irish Government should take down the hoardings of the many empty properties, and or houses and give them out to the people who are homeless.

Maryann Kenny is a volunteer.

Maryann has been volunteering on and off for about 2 Months with Bridges Of Hope. She likes to give something back to people who need help. Maryann went on to say that Ireland Government needs to wake up and do something about the homeless crisis that we have today in modern Ireland.

Paul Tynan is a service user:

Paul, has been homeless now for about 5 Months. Paul is originally from outside Dublin and at present is struggling with the (DCC) Dublin City Council, to register been homeless and is struggling to get a bed or somewhere to sleep because (DCC) Are refusing to register him homeless and are repeatably asking him to register homeless in his hometown. Paul can’t get any social welfare payments or even a medical card due to him been homeless and having no where to sign on from.

Paul, believes that it should be treated as a criminal offense if anyone in Ireland, passes by a person sleeping rough on our streets. Paul, went on to say he sleeps on the streets in Dublin, and at times can be found in the alcove outside the G.P.O on O’Connell Street but that can be very noisy and dangerous. He sometimes walks down to the docklands of the city so he can have a decent nights sleep away from the chaotic madness.

Paul, went on to say that some local business including McDonald’s have been a little bit decent to him they won’t allow you to fall asleep in their restaurant but will allow you to charge your mobile telephone and or sit in out of the cold.

Paul, also went on to say the only time a person should have to lie down on concrete is when they are dead in a mortuary lying on a slab and not sleeping on the streets.

Paul also believes that the Irish Government could easily bring in an old cruiser liner from abroad dock it in Dublin Bay, and sleep at least 500 homeless people on it and prevent people from having to sleep rough on our streets.

Paul also went on to say that the services offered by Bridges Of Hope is absolutely fabulous and he feels loved here.

By 8.30pm on this Saturday Evening all the food was gone and figures put at around 250 to 300 people who turned up for help in North Earl Street. Bridges Of Hope does not receive any kind of monetary donations of the Irish State and rely heavily on donations of food, clothing, sleeping bags, tents, etc collected by their volunteers who collect from family members, friends, and neighbors, so they can help the homeless people. If you would like to become a volunteer or you would like to donate used or new clothing, sleeping bags, tents, food etc please phone Bridges Of Hope in Dublin on 085-812-5434, Or drop the donations in person to the stalls on North Earl Street every Saturday Evening from 7:30 to 9:30pm. The stalls are located directly across from Madagan’s Pub thank you.

(PB) Actually heard that one of the volunteers Wesley Hanratty took off his own coat and gave it to a homeless person who turned up late to the clothing stall to find all the donated coats were gone.

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